Employees of Richmond, Va.-based VCU Health are asking the health system to provide administrative pay for hours they say were lost when outpatient services closed during a January winter storm, The Commonwealth Times reported Feb. 4.
Winter storm Fern brought snow, freezing temperatures and icy conditions to several states, disrupting care across U.S. health systems. VCU Health announced Jan. 25 that some locations and outpatient services would be closed or have modified schedules on Jan. 26. Inpatient services remained open.
A Change.org petition signed by VCU Health employees cites the system’s decision to deduct missed hours from affected staff’s accrued paid time off and calls for administrative pay instead.
“Requiring staff to use their earned PTO for a weather-related, employer-mandated closure places an unfair financial and personal burden on employees — particularly those who rely on PTO for illness, family needs or planned time off,” the petition said.
It also states that administrative pay “is an established and appropriate option for situations in which employees are unable to work due to operational closures outside of their control,” adding that such a step would reflect the system’s “commitment to supporting its workforce, maintaining equity across departments and upholding its values as a leading healthcare employer.”
VCU Health spokesperson Danielle Pierce told Becker’s the system is aware of the petition but has not received direct communication from staff. She said the organization remains committed to employee well-being and regularly reviews policies in that spirit.
“We are always committed to listening to their concerns and reviewing our policies to ensure we support our workforce effectively, as we did with parking, which was outlined in Becker’s last week,” Ms. Pierce said. Parking is now fully covered for team members.
VCU Health employs 15,000 people. As of Feb. 4, the petition had 76 signatures.
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